Conference with youth politicians from Moldova

Moldova is going through a difficult time. Corruption scandals have followed each other, forming a government has failed repeatedly since the parlamentary elections in November 2014, and nearly one billion dollar, fifteen percent of Moldova’s GDP, has disappeared from one of the country’s banks, questioning the role of the Moldovan political elite.

When Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation organized a seminar for young members of one of the government parties, the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (LDP), the youth politicians had just left the campaign for the local elections that were held in June. The aim of the training, which took place in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, July 3-5 2015, was to strengthen the values and principles of the participants, but it was also about how to survive as a party in a new democracy. After several top names within LDP has left the party, among those former Prime Minister, Iurie Leancă, LDP struggles to find a new path.

Speakers from Sweden were Erik Bengtzboe and Fredrik Schulte, both members of the Swedish Parliament. Fredrik Schulte presented an overview of the different political ideologies, while Erik Bengtzboe talked more practically about how to develop as a party. Moreover, participants were given tasks where they would describe real problems in the country and how these would be tackled.

Group work during the conference.

There was no doubt that the young generation of politicians wanted change and reforms that could bring Moldova in the right direction, far from corruption and political mismanagement.